Daily Meme: The Afterlives of Public Officials

This week, Ben Bernanke turned in his magic wand of fiscal wizardry and officially stepped aside as Federal Reserve chair. So what next? What new heights does one scale, or what hills of money does one slide down, after you've conquered your own particular corner of the world? In Bernanke's case, he's headed into the tank—the think tank, that is. He'll live out his bearded old age as a Distinguished Fellow in Residence at the Brookings Institution. And really, what more could a fellow ask for?

So where have other public officials put themselves out to pasture after the good 'ole US of A has used them for all they're worth? Let's take a look.

About the Author

Clare Malone is a freelance writer and member of the editorial staff of The New Yorker.Her work has appeared in The American Prospect, The Daily Beast, Slate, Bloomberg View, and Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology. She is a former Prospect web editor.